It took place in 216 BC and was a major battle in the Second Punic War. Prior to this, Hannibal, the commander of the Carthaginian army, invaded Italy and repeatedly defeated the Roman army. In order to cut off Rome's food supply and further damage its morale, Hannibal then marched to Cannae, the Roman granary in southern Italy. On August 2, the Carthaginian army met the Roman army, and a war broke out. The Han family strategized and succeeded in defeating the large number with a small number, and defeated the army commanded by the Roman consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Varro. Although this battle did not allow Carthage to completely defeat Rome, Hannibal's superb use of tactics was still hailed as one of the greatest battles in military history even in later generations when tactical thinking was highly developed.
At the beginning of the Second Punic War, Carthaginian general Hannibal led his army into Italy through the Alps during the winter, and quickly defeated Rome in the Battle of Trabia and the Battle of Lake Trasimeno. Army twice.
After these defeats, the Romans appointed Fabian as dictator, who decided to engage in a war of attrition with Hannibal, cutting off his supply lines and refusing to engage in direct combat.
But these tactics were not recognized by the Romans. When the Romans woke up from the surprise of Hannibal's victory, they began to doubt the effectiveness of Fabian tactics, which gave the Carthaginian army a chance to recover. Fabian's strategy disappointed those in the mainstream who were eager to end the war in a short time, and it was also widely believed that if Hannibal was allowed to plunder Italy unchecked, Rome's allies might betray and join the Carcass. The Thagians formed an alliance because they believed Rome could not protect them due to Rome's negative strategy.
In 216 BC, the Roman Senate restarted the consul election and elected Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Varro as consuls. At the same time, an unprecedentedly large army was formed.
In the past, most Roman wars were only handled by one consul and two Roman legions, with Rome's allies sharing part of the force. It was rare for four Roman armies to be summoned at the same time in the same war.
But this time, the situation was extremely dangerous, so Rome decided to send not just four but eight Roman legions to the battlefield. The army included 2,400 Roman cavalry and 4,000 Confederate cavalry, for a total of 86,400 to 87,000 soldiers. Each legion has the same number of allied troops.
Compared with the Roman legion, the Carthage army can only be described as shabby. At best, it is a ragtag army, and at worst, it is a ragtag group.
Carthage¡¯s merchants and wealthy farmers were not interested or willing to devote their years to military service, so most of Carthage¡¯s soldiers were recruited from semi-civilized tribes that traded with it or were defeated by it.
Hannibal only had 2,500 soldiers who were Carthaginian citizens, and the rest came from many African and southern European countries. The tribes in the Carthaginian army did not have a common language, so orders and communication were very problematic, and there were many types of weapons. Each tribe had its own unique weapons and different tactics.
The Libyan Phoenicians fought on both foot and horse, and were good at using heavy spears. These Africans were Hannibal's most trusted troops. The main weapon of Spanish infantry and cavalry is the giant sword, which is used for cutting and stabbing in close combat. The Gauls, the ancestors of the French, wore long hair dyed red and usually fought on foot. They went into battle shirtless and wielded a machete in close combat. They looked like Li Kui in fighting without risking their lives. Soldiers from the Balearic Islands are experts at using slings. Flying stones can hurt people with perfect accuracy, just like the featherless arrows in the Water Margin. African soldiers are physically strong, hard-working, and all are masters of track and field, but their military skills are a bit poor. They have bald heads and tattoos. They use spears, bows and arrows, and sometimes long swords when fighting.
Hannibal¡¯s advantage lies in heavy cavalry. The Iberian war horses are large and strong, and each horse can usually carry two people during the march. During the battle, one person stayed on horseback to fight, while the other dismounted and fought on foot, like the later generations of infantry and tanks fighting together.
The Gauls also had cavalry, but the most powerful ones were the African cavalry from many Numidian tribes. They hold javelins and swords, wear a leopard or lion skin on their left arm as a guard, and are almost naked on the saddle. They are fearless, tireless and skilled fighters, and are probably the most elite fighting force in the entire army.
Due to their different backgrounds, the morale of the troops under Hannibal's command was also uneven. For example, the positions of the Spaniards and Gauls were very shaken, and those who joined the Carthaginian troops were mostly revolutionary opportunists. Except for the African cavalry of the Donumidian tribe, the combat effectiveness of other tribes can only be considered mediocre. The Liberians and Celts are even more rookies and have no combat experience at all. Against the Romans, who were overwhelmingly superior in numbers and quality, Hannibal had almost no chance of winning unless a miracle happened.
However, since Hannibal led his troops across the Alps two years ago, from ItalyAfter catching the Romans off guard in the north, the myth of Rome's invincibility had been shattered by his own hands. A series of victories made him, Hannibal, a 26-year-old son of a Carthaginian general, the most feared man in all of Rome.
Before the Battle of Cannae broke out, Hannibal had already gained the strategic initiative and occupied the city of Cannae on the Apulian Plain.
Cannae was a huge supply warehouse for Rome. Hannibal captured the city and cut off Rome from its important source of supplies. The capture of Cannae caused riots in the Roman army. Just losing a place and warehouse would not be enough to cause a commotion, but Cannae was the control point over the captured provinces.
In order to meet Hannibal, the two Roman consuls personally led their armies to march south. After two days, they found Hannibal's traces on the left side of the Ophitus River and camped six miles away. Normally the two consuls would command their respective armies, but this time because the two armies were united, the two consuls took turns commanding during the day in accordance with the requirements of Roman law.
Paulus, the consul, was arrogant by nature. When he led his troops into battle for the first time, he was determined to defeat Hannibal. At that time, Hannibal sent a small force to launch a tentative attack on the Roman army. Paulus successfully repulsed it. This made Paulus more confident and wanted to fight Hannibal in a decisive battle.
The other consul, Varro, was different from Paulus in that he was careful and careful at every step, and he knew that even if the Roman army had a numerical advantage, it would be extremely unwise to fight Hannibal on the plains.
Varro¡¯s idea is absolutely correct, because Hannibal has the advantage of cavalry, both in quality and quantity. Despite these concerns, Paulus believed that it would be unwise to retreat after an initial victory, so he stationed two-thirds of his troops on the east side of the Aufidus River and ordered the remaining troops to cross the river and leave on the north bank. A second military camp was set up on a higher ground closer to the Carthaginian military camp. The purpose of this military camp was to seize food and grass and harass the enemy.
The two armies faced each other in this position for two days. On the second day, Hannibal challenged Varro and agreed to formally fight tomorrow. Varro refused, and when his request was rejected, Hannibal realized the importance of the Auphidus River to the Roman army and sent his cavalry to harass Roman soldiers who were fetching water from the river.
Varro did not make a wrong judgment because of this, and just ordered the soldiers to strictly guard the camp. However, for Paulus, these cavalry sent by Hannibal directly harassed the Roman military camp, plundered and interfered with the Roman army's water supply, which was intolerable. the behavior of. Paulus was angered by this, and the next day, August 2, 216 BC, he assembled the northern and southern battalions of the army, set up battle formations across the river from Hannibal's camp, and challenged Hannibal. Fight to the death with it.
The Roman army placed its right wing near the Ophitus River. The traditional formation at that time was that the infantry was placed in the center and the cavalry was placed on the two wings. The Romans arranged their formation according to this method, but chose to thicken the depth of the center rather than widen the width of their battle line. This was because their army was more numerous than the Carthaginians, so their battle line could be as long as the Carthaginians. , and hoped to quickly defeat Hannibal's central army. The Roman army followed one group after another, and it was certain that the Roman army had a unified front as it advanced.
The infantry is arranged in dozens of columns, divided into three groups: left, center and right. The heavy infantry is placed in the center of the formation, with a certain distance between each column. The cavalry was placed on the left and right wings of the infantry. On the right was a small number of cavalry composed of Roman citizens, and on the left was the cavalry of the Italian League. The entire formation highlights the depth, and its advantage lies in breaking through the opponent's line with the strong impact of heavy infantry. The Roman consul Varro commanded the right wing, another consul Paulus commanded the center, and Severia commanded the left wing. Each commander selected a thousand cavalry as a mobile unit to attack when necessary.
Facing the formation of the Roman army, Hannibal had no space to deploy or the possibility of retreat, because there was a river behind him, and the superior strength of the Romans would force his army to retreat. In the end, it might be cut up and defeated one by one. .
And the most deadly thing is that the battlefield of Cannae is different from the previous battlefields. It is clear at a glance that there is no place to ambush.
In addition, Varro also knew that the Roman infantry successfully penetrated Hannibal's center in the Battle of Trabia, so he planned to implement the same tactics again and achieve greater results with his huge strength advantage.
In order to deal with the superior strength of the Roman army, Hannibal chose a different formation than the traditional one. In order to deal with the Roman formation, Hannibal used a double outflanking strategy, sending the most unreliable 25,000 Gallic recruits Placed in the center of the army, mixed with 8,000 battle-hardened Spanish heavy troops.
Twelve thousand brave and capable African heavy-armed troops were arranged on both sides. Hannibal arranged the formation according to the characteristics and combat qualities of each unit. He used the advantages and disadvantages of each unit to implement his plan. His plan first ordered The elite cavalry on both wings defeated the weaker Roman cavalry first.and attack the Roman infantry from behind. The Roman infantry will definitely force Hannibal's center to retreat due to their numerical superiority. At this time, Hannibal can move the African heavy troops originally placed on both sides. Attack in the middle and surround the Roman army. The army is not a straight line, but a bow-shaped formation protruding from the center to lure the enemy to attack.
Hannibal was determined to fight an siege, but the number of Carthaginian troops was far less than that of the Romans. It was quite difficult to encircle the enemy, and it was also a seemingly suicidal behavior. From this, we can see Hannibal's extraordinary courage. , but Hannibal placed his left wing directly at a bend of the Orfidus River, so that the river acted as a protective umbrella for Carthage's left wing, and it was impossible for the Romans to cross the river to surround them. Now that the left wing is protected by the terrain, the heavy cavalry originally used to protect the left wing can maneuver within a wider range.
Another brilliance of Hannibal is his deployment of infantry. Carthage's infantry formation is a crescent shape, or a bow shape. The African heavy infantry on both sides remained motionless, but the long array in the middle could swing back and forth like a bowstring. During the battle, the infantry in the center of Carthage continued to retreat, slowly drawing the Roman army into a large pocket. The African heavy infantry on both wings gradually moved closer to the center, and the pocket was slowly shrinking.
If the Romans are compared to prey in a bag, then the Carthaginian cavalry can be regarded as the sticks used by hunters to hit the bag. For the Romans, even if they broke through Carthage's central front, they could not change the fate of being wiped out, because the Aufidus River was in front of them, and the Romans did not have enough strategic depth to reorganize their troops. It was a "Lake Trasimi"-style massacre.
Hannibal also had a detailed understanding of the weather patterns in Cannar and understood that there was usually a strong southeasterly wind at noon. Based on this, he deployed each square array to the northwest in order to make full use of the favorable factors of natural forces. In order to cut off the enemy's retreat, Hannibal sent an elite force to ambush in the woods behind the enemy's position so that they could hit the enemy from behind when the wind blew up.
After the Carthaginian army had completed its formation, Varro, the Roman army commander, made temporary adjustments to his own position in view of the enemy's strong flanks and weak center, narrowing the front, increasing depth, and enhancing the strength of the central phalanx. In an attempt to defeat Hannibal's central phalanx with absolute superiority. This adjustment suited Hannibal's wishes, and the main force of the Roman army was unable to fight flexibly because of the reduced distance between them.
Before the decisive battle, commanders from both sides rode back and forth to encourage their soldiers. Varro asked his soldiers to remember their parents and children in the hall and fight for their own survival. Hannibal encouraged his soldiers not to forget their past glory and to fight for honor.
At the beginning of the battle, the infantry on both sides shouted, archers, slingers and projectiles fired "bullets" at each other, and the battle began!
The Roman infantry first launched an attack on the center of the enemy formation and attacked the prominent Carthaginian infantry. According to the predetermined plan, the central phalanx of the Carthage army gradually shrank, causing the left, right, and center phalanxes to become a "concave" formation.
Seeing this, Fa Luo thought that the enemy's formation was beyond strength, so he commanded the main force to launch a more violent attack. As a result, the Roman infantry attacked from both sides toward the center, and the team became longer and longer. At this time, the 500 light infantry of the Carthaginian army suddenly "surrendered" to the Roman army. After the Roman army confiscated their spears and shields, they placed these "surrendered soldiers" behind the formation. Varro saw the enemy's "drop of troops" and the enemy's central square formation continuing to "retreat". He thought that the critical moment of the battle had arrived, so he threw all his reserves into the battle.
Hannibal was a veteran in controlling the heat of the battlefield. Seeing that the time was ripe, he ordered the infantry to attack from the side before his central phalanx was broken through, making the Roman army's central phalanx passive.
At the same time, Hannibal ordered the infantry and cavalry on the left and right wings to attack together to surround the enemy from both wings. Hannibal's heavy cavalry on the left wing was overwhelming and quickly defeated the cavalry on the Roman right wing. He then divided his forces and went all the way back to the enemy's rear, attacking directly behind the Roman left cavalry. The Roman left cavalry could not withstand the front and rear attacks of the opponent's superior cavalry. Escape quickly.
The Numidian cavalry on the right wing played a role in delaying the enemy. They restricted the cavalry on the Roman right wing to one place and could not move. Although they did not have as powerful an attack power as the heavy cavalry on the left wing, they had excellent maneuverability and long-range capabilities. Their strike capabilities make them a perfect match for other military units.
Hannibal immediately sent a battle signal to the ambush, and the Carthaginian army ambushing in the woods quickly encircled the enemy from behind, cutting off the enemy's retreat and forming a siege of the Roman army. The Romans were surrounded by enemies on all sides and were in chaos. After the Carthaginian cavalry succeeded in the initial battle, one part pursued the fleeing enemy cavalry, and the remaining part cooperated with the infantry to encircle the Roman infantry.
At this time, Hannibal's central army was like a big ocean bowl and began to forceThe Roman troops on the flanks moved closer to the center, and the Roman infantry was trapped deeper and deeper. At this decisive moment, Hannibal ordered the originally stationary African soldiers on the left and right to encircle the Roman infantry in the center. As a result, both wings of the Roman army were driven into the bowl. When the African soldiers on both sides approached the center, the Roman infantry had no room to play and was divided and surrounded. There was no room even for escape.
When the battle reached noon, a strong southeast wind blew. Black clouds rolled in and the wind and sand filled the air. The Roman infantrymen facing the southeast were blown to tears by the wind and sand, and could not observe the enemy's actions. However, the Carthaginian soldiers used the wind to project Far and fierce stones and arrows. Although there were many Roman infantry, they were already huddled together, unable to attack, with no way to retreat, and fell into a desperate situation waiting for death. At the same time, the 500 Carthaginian "surrenders" also took advantage of the situation to cause chaos, pulling out hidden daggers and charging forward from behind. This battle started at 9 o'clock in the morning and lasted until sunset. It was only dark and miserable.
The Roman army had nowhere to retreat, so it was divided by the Carthaginian army and defeated one by one. In the end, some 60,000 to 70,000 Roman soldiers were killed or captured, and one of the two commanders, the consul Paulus, was killed along with eighty members of the Senate.
Although the true number of casualties may never be known, an approximate number can be estimated, including the commander of the Roman army, the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus himself, and two previous consuls, two Criminal judges, twenty-nine of the forty-eight legionary generals, and eighty Roman senators. Another 10,000 Roman soldiers stationed in two Roman military camps and adjacent villages surrendered the next day.
In total, more than 70,000 of the original 87,000 Roman soldiers may have been killed or surrendered - more than 80% of the overall military strength. The Carthaginians, on the other hand, suffered only 16,700 casualties and about 6,000 killed.
Both consuls and their legions were dead, and there were no more Roman camps, generals, or surviving soldiers near Cannae. Apulia, Samnitae, and almost all of Italy lay at Hannibal's feet.
In the days after the battle, the Romans became chaotic. The most powerful army in the Italian peninsula had been annihilated, the remaining troops were seriously demoralized, and the remaining consuls were completely distrusted by the Romans. This was a military disaster for the Romans. The Romans also declared a day of national mourning because every Roman had a relative or friend killed in the battle. The Romans were so desperate that they relied on human sacrifice to try to reverse the situation, killing a handful of slaves and burying them in public gatherings.
This battle, which ended with a great victory for the Carthaginians, dealt an almost fatal blow to the Roman military power. However, compared with this, the blow it caused to the Romans' hearts was even more painful.
The Romans could not figure out how a huge country could be defeated by such a motley crew of barbarians, and the defeat was so ugly. I am afraid that the subjects of the Qing Empire also experienced the same mood after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894.
Hannibal won again in this battle after the Battle of Trebia and the Battle of Lake Trasimeno, and annihilated a force equivalent to eight Roman legions. In three battles, the Romans lost a fifth of their adult citizens over the age of seventeen.
In addition, this battle shocked all the states in southern Italy under the military power of Hannibal. After this battle, the Hellenistic southern city-states, including Capua and Linton, the two largest city-states in southern Italy, betrayed Rome and surrendered to Hannibal.
As Polybius puts it, ¡°An idea of ??the magnitude of the defeat at Cannae can be seen in the treachery of the Roman alliance; before the battle, the allies were loyal, but after the defeat, they could no longer Betrayed Rome by trusting in Roman power.¡±
In the same year, the Greek city-states of Sicily revolted against Roman political control, and King Philip V of Macedonia sent troops to support Hannibal and launched the First Macedonian War against Rome. In addition, Hannibal also concluded an alliance with Hieronymus, the new king of Syracuse, the most important city-state in Sicily.
The Battle of Cannae is world-famous for Hannibal¡¯s excellent tactics and its important role in Roman military history. This battle caused serious damage to Rome that was unprecedented in the next century. In ancient times, very few battles could be won with technology like the Battle of Cannae. Hannibal gained all the advantages with technology. The Spanish and Gaulish soldiers were arrayed in a stepped formation, gradually encircling the enemy. This was completely the art of war. The fact that he used African soldiers to attack the Roman army on the flanks and confuse them is even more commendable. The entire battle, from Carthage's perspective, was flawless and almost unrivaled in the history of war. This was an unprecedented example of command art and influenced military tactics for the next two thousand years.
Hannibal¡¯s double outflanking tactic used in the Battle of Cannae is regarded as the greatest battlefield maneuvering tactic in history and also one of the most important Western tactics.?The person who successfully used pincer tactics for the first time in the world.
This battle was a perfect tactical display and the beginning of the "Canni Mode" in the war. The well-equipped, well-trained, and numerically superior Roman legions were eaten layer by layer like peeling an onion; while the talent of the Carthaginian general Hannibal was fully proven, with his skillful use of cavalry and rational use of arms. His ability to coordinate and grasp fighter opportunities makes him worthy of the glorious title of "Father of Western Strategy".
When Du Xuewen was at home, the person he and Du Rui talked about the most, apart from the customs, geography and humanities around the world, was Hannibal.
It's just that unlike Du Xuewen who highly praised Hannibal, although Du Rui also admired Hannibal very much, he only agreed with Hannibal's tactical concept in the Battle of Cannae, but he did not appreciate the results. Very seriously.
Du Rui even felt that Hannibal's victory at the Battle of Cannae was due to the Romans' greater help, in addition to his own genius idea.
Du Rui once said to Du Xuewen: "In my father's opinion, the Romans did not have no chance at the Battle of Cannae. In fact, the Romans could use such tactics. After seeing the Carthaginian army arrayed along the river, the Romans also You can make a fuss from the riverside. The Romans can adjust their troops so that they are generally perpendicular to the Orfidus River, with the right wing close to the riverside. Then the Roman right wing will confront the Carthaginian left wing, and they will defend it to the death. As long as Hasid is held back. Ruba's cavalry is enough, and then the Roman left wing advances from northwest to southeast. Taking advantage of the numerical advantage, the battle line can be lengthened. Since the right wing is already protected by the river, the cavalry on the right wing can turn to support the left wing and prevent Carthage. The cavalry's surprise attack was a method of "drawing a circle with a compass". The fulcrum was the Roman right wing, while the Roman left wing approached the enemy along an arc. This would make it possible to counter-encircle Carthage, while Carthage had its back to the water. The formation lacked strategic depth, so it was difficult to break through numerous Roman armies. In short, because of the numerical advantage, Roman commanders needed a larger area to engage the enemy, while Carthage hoped that the area to engage the enemy would be as small as possible, so You can gradually consume the enemy.
The advantage of the Romans lies in their strict formation and offensive and defensive system. This improved infantry phalanx is quite effective when dealing with traditional Greek or other phalanxes, but it has poor mobility and lacks long-range strike capabilities. At that time, Rome's main form of long-range attack was throwing javelins. The javelins had a short range and were limited in number and could not be reused. Once the Roman infantry phalanx was squeezed into a small area, the formation was disrupted, and it was impossible to fight at all. Everyone was huddled together, watching helplessly as their comrades on the periphery were hacked to death by the enemy but could do nothing. As a result, they could only be beaten layer by layer. Eaten layer by layer.
Another weakness of the Romans was the weakness of the cavalry. Roman society did not value cavalry. They were proud to join the infantry corps. Many of the cavalrymen were poor, foreigners, or barbarians from allied countries, and the Roman cavalry Most were light cavalry. This kind of light cavalry is different from the Huns' light cavalry. The latter focused on long-range strike capabilities, that is, constantly firing arrows to harass and consume the opponent. The Roman cavalry was a charge cavalry equipped with spears and shields. Its experience and protection And the combat effectiveness is no match for the Carthaginian heavy cavalry. When two unequal opponents attack each other, the Roman cavalry will definitely fail.
So, what made Hannibal successful was not himself, but the dull Romans! "
" Du Xuewen doesn't care who made Hannibal happen. He only knows that he and the soldiers of the Tang Army under his command can find a glimmer of hope from the example of Hannibal.
Most of the land near Kadesh is sandy, and it is close to the Oronte River. The soil is soft, which is not conducive to cavalry. The Arabs are best at cavalry combat. If they fight in a place with flat terrain and hard soil, no matter what, , 35,000 Tang troops could not withstand the full impact of more than 300,000 Arabs.
But it¡¯s different on sandy soil. When horses gallop on sandy soil, their hooves can easily get stuck in it. When launching a large-scale group charge, once the horse stumbles, it may cause complete chaos.
Fighting here, the Arab army had to give up large-scale cavalry operations, which gave the Tang Army an opportunity. Although the Tang Army was also good at cavalry operations, unlike the Arab army, the Tang Army's cavalry operations were more sophisticated, small-scale, and mobile. Combat is the strength of the Tang army.
As long as most of the Arab army can be dismounted to fight, the Tang army will have an opportunity.
A thousand years ago, Hannibal was able to defeat the arrogant Romans at the Battle of Cannae. Now the Tang army can also defeat the Arabs who are ten times their size despite being at an absolute disadvantage in terms of military strength.
"General!"
A sentry scout came galloping towards Du Xuewen and said, "The cannibal's front army is still twenty miles away, and they are coming intermittently from behind."?It is said that there are more than 200,000 people! "
Even before Du Xuewen said anything, Xue Ne couldn't help but exclaimed: "Two hundred thousand! Have you seen it for real? Do you really think there are only more than two hundred thousand people!?"
Although compared to the number of Tang troops, the difference between 200,000 and 300,000 is not very big, it is still nearly ten times their number, but it is always a good thing to have fewer opponents.
Du Xuewen was also a little moved. It would be a good thing if the Arab army could be smaller. Moreover, Mubak would be eager to cross the river by then and would definitely launch an all-out attack on the Tang army. As long as Mubak could be induced to attack the center of the Tang army, Then he would have a way to re-enact the Battle of Cannae at Kadesh.
"Dingshan! You quickly return to the camp, mobilize the entire army, and line up along one side of Kadishishi City. Today I will fight the big man-eater here, and let them see the bravery of my Tang Dynasty soldiers. !¡±
Seeing that Du Xuewen spoke so arrogantly, Xue Ne's confidence doubled. He handed over his hand to Du Xuewen and rode towards the military camp in the ruins of Kadeshishi City.